Retractable wheel support for luggage



Jan. 30, 1951 F. w. DAvls 2,539,993

RETRACTABLE WHEEL SUPPORT FOR LUGGAGE Filed July 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 30, 1951 F. w. DAvls RETRAGTAELE WHEEL SUPPORT EoR LUGGAGE Filed July 2, 1946 'o' Sheets-Sheet4 2 NGE iv l -JHMUNWHWEHU A s E @X @u Jan- 30 1951 l F. w. DAVIS RETRACTA-BLE WHEEL SUPPORT FOR LUGGAGE Filed July 2, 194e 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED RETRACTABLE.WHEEL.SUPPORT.EOR' LUGGAGE Francis Davis,` Belmont, Mass'.

Application-31.115512; 1946,'.Seriasli-No. 681,095.

6"Cla.ims. 1;.

This invention relates to luggage, vsuch as suitcases oflarge size, which-are. usuallyheav-y when packed., Itis often difiicult to secure desired assistance intransporting hand luggage, to and from-.railroad trainsfand. the like soi that the transportation of' luggage e of this'l description'. on atrain platform and ina railroadrstationis often azdiflicult problem. It: isan objectoi.V theA present invention to provide luggageY which... contains built-inirneans for facilitating. transportationxof this kind. To this end apair of@ smallwheels are builtJ into i recesses-in an: end edgefoffv the luggage; the'SeWheelsbeing movable to--anbperativepcsition partly or Wholly outsidevof: thev normal .exte-Y rior contour' of the luggage inawhichfposition theyM carry' ther-Weight of thefluggage and' vpermit it to be wheeled overt a'- supporting surface such asia floor'or'platforrn; A convenienthandleis provided at theqotherend: of.. the luggagagthis handle being preferably; movable'-into and1out of the luggage so that when the handle and wheels' are--notin :use they-are housed :Within the exteriorcont'our of the-luggage.

For af more complete understanding of the invention; reference'A may bevhacl` to the follow` ing description thereof` andi to' the* drawings; of which:

Figure 1 isiasideelevational'Viev/ofan embodiment of the invention' in condition`- for use;

Figure' 2? is'a'n.endelevationl of? the improved i article of luggage;`

Figure 3 i'sran opposite' end elevation` ofi the samer Figure' 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on theline 4 4 of`Figure 2;

Figure -5'isY a section on thev line 5--5 o'f Fig'- Figure 11 is an elevational View ofiamodied form; of Wheel supportingimechanism; a; portion heingfbroken away'to show-in section;

Figure 12 issY a section', on; the; line:v |2."-i2: of' Figurea 1 1i;

EigureA 1 of: thei drawings; shows; arr embodil mentzof; the:inventionimposition forz'use..

2u comprisesla pieceiof handluggage.v HL such.asa suitcase of large size., thisvsuitcase, being pro.- vided, according tothe invention,` with apair of; wheels l2.on which-it can` be trundled! and asuitable handle member ifi. Ifdesired, provision mayvv be made for-carrying. extra. piecesl of luggage IB.- and I8; for. example, upon. the case. i@ such means consisting. of. one or more.L lugs 20 which are pivotedat theiendsofV the case` IU.. as at22 sofa-s tosbe movahlerfroman upright position in whichaportionproj'ects abovethe topof thecase. as shown in Figures `2V and 3i to aposition indicate-d in dotted Ylinestin Figure Sainwhioh the lugs are flat against the end of the case and do not projectbe-yond any-.edge thereof. Thelugs may-- be mount-ediwithA spring.A washers 2!!` to 2provide frictionalY resistancel sothat theyr willA stay inu either.. position; Each' lug also-rnay-have a hole v2&5 .in th'e-fendfthereof through Which=a-suit. able lashing; can.4 be.passed" if. neededtohold the additionalpieces' and- Iwiniplacefon the-case As'Y indicated in .Figure r4.; the hand1e= I 49 isA pref e era'bly U-shaped: and; may be.- made of rod or tube stock bentltofshape Each of: theflegsof thewhandleimember.- slides ini a tubularV casing 3D.. TheseV casingsare anchored Within'the'lbottorn-:off the case lil by; any suitable-means,- suc-h as a-zclip which: may be rivetedor otherwise fastened-to ythebottom of the-case on the inside thereof,v the'ends being g. curledaround the'ftubu larcasings 3! as; indicated inrFigure -7. When the handle i4' is-` pulled out to itsextended" position forausegitis desirable that-itbe releasably locked in-v such position; Eor this purpose the legs: of the Ahandle Amember Aare-suitably :notched as'` at 34, thecasings 3D.-also beingnotohed ras at- Srso Vthat these' notches register. when the handle is'v in: its extended position;` Aftsuch time a lockingplate Sais adapted;to=move into thenotches so that an;= edge thereof catchesin the-notches 3&1- and prevents lretractioniofv the `#handle member. as long asfthe; locking plate-.138% engagesv in, the notches 34'. A-light, spring iiiy is provided to press the plate Sii-yieldingly. into the vnotches 34. When it isizdesired to returnltheghandlerto its telescoped position.vvithinzv.thel casingsV 3U, the locking plate 38.1is pushed outa-.of the. notchesc'. by suitable means suchrassa rockingflever dzfwhioh, as; shown in. Figure.: 5,. is'A preferably L-shaped, one: legA of the t..pr.essing againsttheflockingplate- 258; the other legs being engaged@A by: apushr lutton': 5a which; extends: through. the wall .ofi thef case?A i 9: By, pressing;- thefbuttoni hthe handlemember.v i4 issunlocked; an'dcan. loe-.pushed to its=telescoped position within the case I so that the transverse end portion of the handle member is flush with an end wall of the case I0.

The wheels I2 are disposed in separate hous ings 52 which form recesses in corners of the case IU at the opposite end from the handle I4 and within the normal exterior contour of the case, such contour being customarily rectangular. The two housings 52 and the mechanism contained therein are substantially identical so that a description of one will answer for both. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the wheel I2 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 56 which may conveniently be made of heavy sheet metal and movable so as to shift the wheel from a position within the housing to a position partly or wholly outside of it. As shown, the bracket is pivoted at 58 so that the wheel I2 can swing into the housing 52 as indicated in Figure 8 or may be swung out of the housing, as indicated in Figure 9, where it is in its exterior position for use. The housing 52 is provided with a cover plate or lid 6I] which is hinged thereto as at 62, a spring G4 being provided to bear against thc lid 60 in such a way as to tend to move the lid to its closed position as shown in Figure 8. When the bracket 56 is rocked to swing the wheel I 2 out of the housing 52, the lid 6|] is pushed to its open position by the wheel I2 and is held in such position by the end of the bracket 56. When the bracket is swung in the opposite direction to move the wheel back into the housing 52 the lid is swung back to its closed position by the spring 54.

According to the invention I may connect the brackets 56 with the handle member I4 in such a way that the outward movement of the handle member to its extended position for use results in swinging the brackets 56 so as to move the wheels I2 to their position for use. Since in the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawings the extent of outward movement of the handle I4 is more than is needed for moving the wheels out, a lost-motion connection is provided between the handle and the wheels. For this purpose each bracket may have attached thereto a suitable flexible tension member such as a chain 'Ill which is attached at one end to part 'I2 of the bracket 5B by means of an adjusting screw 14. able grommet 16 into a tube 18 where its other end is connected to a flexible wire 8|). The other end of the wire is secured to a ferrule 82 slidable in a tubular extension 84 of one of the legs of the handle member I4. This tubular extension 84 has a reduced aperture 86 at its end remote from the handle member I4. The ferrule 82 is slidable within the tube 84 so that when the handle I4 is pulled out to its position of use, the tube moves relatively to the ferrule 82 until the latter engages the end of the tube around the reduced opening 86. Thereupon, further movement of the handle acts through the wire 80 and the chain 'Ill to swing the wheel brackets 56 to the position indicated in Figure 9. ing plate 38 engages in the notches 34 and thus locks the handle I4 in its extended position, thus also locking the wheel brackets 56 in their extended position. The screw terminal 'I4 on each of the chains 'I0 can be readily adjusted so as to cause the wheels I2 to be in the proper operating positions when the handle is fully extended and is locked by the locking plate 38. j

When the push button 50 is pressed to release the handle I4, it can be returned to -itsin opera- The chain 1|! leads through a suit- The lock-` tive position and the wheels I2 with their brackets 56 are thus released to swing back into the housings 52. This movement of the brackets and wheels is brought about by any suitable means such as a spring for each of the brackets the spring Ibeing coiled around the pivot member 58 and having end portions bearing respectively against the bracket 56 as at 92 and a pin 94 or other convenient stop element.

The wheels and brackets need not be operated by movement of the handle member I4. If preferred, each bracket can be independently operated, mechanism for such operations being illustrated in Figures 11 and 12. As therein shownl each wheel I2 is mounted on a bracket |00 rockable about a xed pivot |02 in a housing |64. The bracket |00 is provided with a pedal member |06 which projects out through a slot |68 in the outer side wall of the housing |64. This pedal is readily engageable by the foot of the operator and, when pressed downward, serves to swing the bracket |60 so that it projects out from the housing I 54 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 11. This movement of the bracket |66 is against the pressure of a spring I I2 which may be arranged similarly to the springr 2E! shown in Figure 8. As the wheel is swung out to its operative position, it pushes against the hinged lid II4 of the housing |04 until the end portion II6 of the bracket catches on a shoulder I I8 on the inner surface of the lid H4, thus locking the bracket and wheel in their operative position. When it is desired to return the wheel I2 to its enclosed position, the free end E20 of the lid I I4 can be readily engaged by the toe of the operator and swung out sufficiently to release the bracket from the shoulder I I8 whereupon the bracket and wheel are swung back into the housing by the spring II2 and the lid I I4 is closed by a suitable spring |22.

What I claim is:

1. A piece of luggage havingr two wheels mounted therein near corners thereof, and means for moving said wheels to operative positions outside of the exterior contour of said piece, said means including a handle member normally housed within said piece and lost motion connections between said handle member and said wheels whereby when said handle member is moved to its extended position the final portion only of said movement is effective to move the wheels to their operative positions.

2. A piece of luggage having two wheels mounted therein near the bottom corners at one end thereof, means for moving said wheels to operative positions outside of the normal exterior contour of the piece, said means including a notched handle member normally housed in said piece at the other end thereof and movable to an extended position for use and operative connections between said handle member and wheels, means for releasably locking said handle member in its extended position, said locking means including a spring pressed latch within said piece adapted to engage in the notches of the handle member, and means including a push button pro jecting from the end of the piece adjacent to the handle member for disengaging said latch from said notches. Y

3. A piece of luggage having a small housing within each of the bottom corners at one .end thereof, a handle at the other end of said piece adapted to be pulled out to an extended position,v a bracket movably mounted. in each said housing, a wheel rotatably carried by each said bracket and movable thereby into and out of its housing, and means operatively connecting said handle with saidv brackets to move said wheels out of said housings in response to movement of said handle to its extended position, said connecting means including telescoping elements whereby the distance of movement of the handle is substantially greater than the distance of the resulting movement of each said bracket.

4. A piece of luggage having a small housing within each of the bottom corners at one end thereof, a handle at the other end of said piece adapted to be pulled out to an extended position, a bracket movably mounted in each said housing, a wheel rotatably carried by each said bracket and movable thereby into and out of its housing, spring means pressing each bracket to move its wheel into its housing, and means operatively connecting said handle with said brackets to move said wheels out of their housings in response to movement of the handle to its extended position, said means including a length of chain extending into each said housing and telescoping elements whereby the distance of movement of said handle to its extended position is substantially greater than the resultant distance of lmovement of said wheels.

5. A piece of luggage having recesses in the bottom corners at one end thereof, a handle at the other end thereof adapted to be pulled out to an extended position, means for releasably locking said handle in its extended position, ya bracket movably mounted in each said recess, a wheel rotatably carried by each said bracket and movable thereby out of its recess, means including flexible tension elements operatively connecting said handle with said brackets to move said wheels out of said recesses in response to movement of said handle to its extended position, and means for adjusting the length of said iiexible tension elements.

6. A piece of luggage having recesses in the bottom corners at one end thereof, a bracket movably mounted in each said recess, a wheel rotatably carried by each said bracket and movable thereby into and out of said recess, a handle at the other end of said piece adapted to be pulled out to an extended position, said handle having parallel shanks slidably mounted in said piece, each said shank having a notch therein, flexible means operatively connecting said Shanks to said brackets respectively to move said wheels out of said recesses in response to movement of said handle to its extended position, a latch plate mounted within said piece and spring-pressed against said shanks to engage in the notches thereof when the handle is in its extended position, and means operable to disengage said latch'plate from said notches, said dis-- engaging means including a push button projecting from said piece and a bell crank rockably mounted in said piece with one arm engaging said button and the other arm engaging said plate.

FRANCIS W. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,936 Clapp Nov. 8, 1864 447,625 Sutley Mar. 3, 1897 854,602 Peterson May 21, 1907 1,021,964 Beasecker Apr. 2, 1912 1,442,733 Paschoal Jan. 16, 1923 2,002,836 Rossi May 28, 1935 2,033,192 Ellis Mar. 10, 1936 2,068,295 Kramer Jan. 19, 1937 2,439,660 Keil Apr. 13, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,482 Great Britain 1884 573,486

France Mar. 12, 1924 

